The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators to investigate a rear end collision between two Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) trains. The collision occurred at 7 a.m. on April 17 in McPherson, Iowa. Early information indicates that a BNSF freight train collided with a standing BNSF maintenance train. Two BNSF employees were killed. Two locomotives and multiple cars derailed as a result of the accident. Michael Flannigan is serving as the Investigator-in-Charge for the 7-member team from the NTSB.

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has acknowledged that coal dust poses a serious problem for railroad safety and operations, but found that BNSF Railway Co.’s attempt to mitigate those problems was not reasonable.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. announced a planned 2011 capital commitment program of $3.5 billion. The largest component of the capital plan is spending $2 billion on BNSF’s core network and related assets. BNSF also said it plans to spend about $450 million to acquire 227 locomotives and approximately $350 million on freight car and other equipment acquisitions. The program also includes about $300 million for federally mandated positive train control (PTC) and $300 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects. BNSF’s expansion and efficiency projects will be primarily focused on the mid-continent and coal

WASHINGTON — The STB has dismissed a company’s claim BNSF Railway Co. is “double recovering revenue” from a fuel surcharge, but also denied the railroad’s motion to dismiss a second claim that is earning excessive profits from the surcharge.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF is challenging what it termed “deliberate bias” in the Star Tribune newspaper’s cherry-picking unrepresentative and isolated incidents to imply an unsafe culture at the company.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway recognized three shortline railroads for their tremendous success and partnership over the past year with a Shortline Achievement Award at BNSF’s 15th Annual Shortline Conference on Nov. 1 in Grapevine, Texas.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Matt Rose announced the promotion of Carl Ice to the newly created position of president and chief operating officer of BNSF Railway Co., with responsibility for Operations, Marketing and Technology Services.